Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-07-23
THE FRIENDS WE LOVE.


/" The world is bright and its chains are
light,
When no higher thoughts inspire
But leaden its might and dark its light,
To souls that hare once SCARED higher.
Beyond the value of lands and
riches is the possession of friends.
One enemy is too many, but OF
friends "too many" can never be
had. In public and political life,
friends and enemies come and 60
alike at viii, and powerless is the
man of honest intention to stay the
one or ward off the other. There
are those, though, whom we cherish
above all others, for more than one
reason. They may have stood us
good in time of need,--may have de-
Tended us when there was no one to
say kind word. The greater claims
have they who overlook our faults
and charitably construe our most
questionable motives, OF generously
pass over our every unreasonable
action. They are the extremes Of
love, kindness and constancy, just
as are those for evil, hatred and re-
venge who misconstrue the plainest
word and question the purest action
Few are the former; many-headed
the latter. The one we would not
lose for the world; the other we
would give the world for their loss.
"The storms of the heart, like the
storms Of life, have an end" and
until that end explains everything.
o friend turn not thy back for an
idle world, needless thought or the
Inconsistency of human nature. Deep
sympathy may beget shallow
mind; pity displace reason and a
full measure of trouble obscure the
light of faith, as the most insignifi.
cant planet gives a passing dark.
ness to the brightest luminary in all
the broad expanse of sky and heav.
ems. If thou seest clear because life's
vision is unclOuded, comfort not thy.
self but diffuse thy light where dark
ness is most drear, for evil shadows
too surround thee, which may God
avert. Not every man can lay down
his burden and take it up at pleas.
ure not every mind can shape it's
thoughts to the faireSt dreams of its
choice; not every heart can beat
at will to heavenly desires. Else
why cry they in anguish of soul,
Convert me, o God, and l shall be
converted! If in some there is much
of earth and little Of Heaven; in
others there is naught but dark and
mysterious gloom that once swept
over the face of the earth, before the
sea saw and fed,-before the Jor-
dan retraced its coarse, or the noun.
tains and hills skipped like the little
lambs of the flock "a facie Del. If
in the friends of mans soul there is
little of earth and much of Heaven,
why so soon estranged? Why so
unlike the Universal Shepherd Who
laid down His life for His sheep, and
Who would have gathered the most
ungrateful friends to His fold as the
hen gathers her young,-gathered
them with words of love and cheer
and no thought Of blame. Why
then cast us off because gifts are
not given as others received ?
Neither houses nor treasures, only a
mite of friendship that no one needs
to envy, because there is none that
is not more bountifully blessed
Hard is the parting with priceless
treasure, and hold it we would at nc
cost too dear; but if the worst is
lated, let it come now, come quickly.
-Qaare cOnturbas mes Happy souls
of destiny, why see You more if We
are meier to meet on the promised
shore Depart, away! where duty
leads you in more pleasant places
while we the less fortunate are
Waiting for the end
Of all Misunderstanding and soul hun
ger,
When lack of love shall trouble us M
longer,
When a white shroud shall cover up oul
faces,
And BETTER PEOPLE fill our ,ucon
places!"